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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29140566">Familie</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnraptureEnchanted/pseuds/EnraptureEnchanted'>EnraptureEnchanted</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Frozen (Disney Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Anxiety, Car Accident, Depression, Gen, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, I ain't writing a romance fic at this ungodly hour, I'll add more tags as i go, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Injury, It's 3am I'm not beta reading this, Not Beta Read, Suicide Attempt, friends being friends, i didn't sleep for this, just characters referring to the past, no actual suicide attempts, no shipping just family being family, platonic, snow accident, very vague plot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:53:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,845</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29140566</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnraptureEnchanted/pseuds/EnraptureEnchanted</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>One night of heading home from work, Honeymaren comes across a scene she won't forget for a long time.</p><p>Maybe she shouldn't have stopped. Maybe she should've just headed home.</p><p>But would that really solve anything?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. There is no upper hand I'm giving you mine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em>It doesn't have to end up wasting your time</em><br/>
<em>There's things that I could say</em><br/>
<em>But hear it my way</em><br/>
<em>I want to let you know that it's all okay</em>
</p><p>
  <em>- <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzvkYf9uhjs">Backhouse Mike (feat. Elizabeth Gillies)</a></em>
</p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>By the time Honeymaren stepped out of the restaurant, it was 1 in the morning. She pulled her scarf tighter around her neck in an attempt to keep out the cold, already feeling the chilly air nipping away at her exposed face. She cursed inwardly at her luck as she spotted gentle drops of snowflakes starting to accumulate quickly, a promise of the beginning of a snowfall. In no time, her shoulders were white with a light dusting of the falling powder, and she reminded herself to actually walk instead of mourning over the weather.</p><p>She missed the warmth of summer. It is a season full of color and fun, not a ghostly white everywhere as practically dead, leafless plants decorated every corner and every roadside. She adored going out on walks with her brother's dogs even if it meant walking around with poop bags and a scooper. They still do that during winter, but that would mean leaving the comforting warmth of their home and coming back feeling numb all over. Starting to lose the feel in her fingers - despite having had pulled on thick synthetic leather gloves right before leaving work - Honeymaren quickly started up her car, closing the door before turning on the seat warmer. She heaved a sigh of relief, allowing the heat to wash over her.</p><p>How she despised the cold.</p><p>As soon as she'd made herself comfortable, she began her pull out of the parking lot. She ignored the small amount of water that had begun to dribble down her jacket in the shape of droplets from where the snow were. Slightly wet clothing was a small sacrifice for the warmth of her car. She took note of how the snow continued to fall faster as she drove however, and hoped she'll be able to get home safely. No matter how much her instincts screamed to drive faster, she knew it was safer to keep going at a steady pace.</p><p>"It's okay, you're okay." She murmured, grabbing the steering wheel a little tighter than was necessary.</p><p>While the consistent descend of the snowfall alarmed her, she breathed in slowly with her nose, even slower as she exhaled with her mouth.</p><p>She really didn't want to get stuck out while it snowed, not being able to find her way back. She always thought of it as a dead weather. In her mind, everything about it seemed dead. Honeymaren had always been a person full of life, braving every obstacle with every inch of her might. Her brother often relied on her courage, trusting her to be brave for the both of them. She remembered how her little brother would hide behind her whenever something scared him, using her as his human shield.</p><p>In fact, he still does that. She chuckled at the thought.</p><p>But winter scared her. She knew she could drive through the snow, regardless of the time. Yet that knowledge alone was not enough for the sight of it to not crack up her anxiety to the max. She needed color in her life.</p><p>That was when she saw it. If she wasn't paying such close attention to the road, she would've missed it.</p><p>At the side of the road, where it had clearly swerved out of its lane, was the backside of an aquamarine car. From a glance, she could tell that it had so conveniently driven straight into a snow pile, causing the front half of it to be completely concealed. Forgetting her initial anxiety, Honeymaren hurriedly drove further ahead for a spot to park her car, hoping that the universe would not be against her so much as to drop a gigantic snowball on top of her car.</p><p>She almost regretted stopping to check on the presumed accident the moment she stepped out into the cold. Fortunately, the snow had faltered some, though after years of living in the country, she knew it was only temporary.</p><p>It wasn't long until she found herself right next to the car. She'd walked there in long strides, hoping it'd make everything go faster.</p><p>Accessing the situation clearly now that she was outside, she could see that the car had definitely lost control and swerved to the side, being unlucky enough to cause a mini avalanche to collapse onto it. The car been half buried to such a thick depth of snow Honeymaren was sure it had to be dug out to access the front door of the car. Surely whoever was in there would've gotten the sense to leave through the back seat doors?</p><p>The accident would've happened some hours ago. From the thickness of the snow in the surrounding area and the fact that there were no longer any tire tracks visible, she could tell it had been enough time for it to be concealed. Given enough time, the car in its entirety would be completely buried.</p><p>She walked closer, testing the back door to see if it would open. She had to check if there was anyone in there. For all she knew, some idiot could've decided to park their car here and leave.</p><p>A part of herself hoped that was the case.</p><p>
  
</p><p>Her hands flew around her pockets for her phone, debating about calling an ambulance. She was well aware the hospital was quite a ways away, and it may not be able to reach her on time. With the weather being the way it is, it could even take an hour or so. She wasn't sure if she had that kind of time.</p><p>Kicking around the ground, she looked around for any kind of solid object. Once her boot made contact with something hard, she crouched down and pushed her hand through the thick powder, finding a stone that was surprisingly bigger than she'd expected. Knowing she wouldn't be able to hold onto the weight for long, she braced herself.</p><p>She threw the stone she'd grabbed straight into the backseat window, using both her arms to do so. At the sound of breaking glass, she kept her eyes shut - hoping that it had not harmed anything, or more importantly, anyone. She slowly opened her eyes once she was sure she didn't hit anything else, judging by the lack of sound.</p><p>Her eyes scanned the vehicle once again. She'd achieved her objective; there was no more glass preventing her entry.</p><p>Pulling out her phone and shining her phone torchlight into the inside of the car, she carefully cleared away the glass that was on the door handle, unlocking it and opening it quietly as if afraid whoever was in the car would strike at a sudden sound.</p><p>Not that she hadn't accomplished breaking a window.</p><p>Once open, she leaned in to inspect the backseat first, flashing her phone around to get a better look. As expected, the back was bare, though now with shards of glass from the shattered window.</p><p>Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of a woman in the driver's seat. Buckled up and unconscious, she saw a curtain of blond hair and pale skin, but couldn't get a good look at the face. For some reason, she found herself hoping it wasn't someone she knew. She always felt this way whenever something bad happened to someone. She couldn't help but imagine the face of someone she was close to in place of the victim's face. It had been another one of her greatest fears.</p><p>She never knew what would happen if she ever actually lost someone she cared about. Hopefully, that would never come to be.</p><p>Getting her mind back on the task, Honeymaren paid closer attention and decided couldn't see whether or not the woman suffered from any injuries from the angle she was at. Regardless, she did know she had to get the woman out, and quick.</p><p>For a brief moment, she wondered once again if calling an ambulance would be a smarter choice. After all, she didn't want to make things worse than it already was. But she also didn't want to wait around for help to come when she could do something.</p><p>With a sinking feeling, it crossed her mind that she had no idea how long the woman had been there, in a car that obviously wasn't functioning. She was certain it was akin to sitting in a freezer in there.</p><p>The woman could've frozen to death already.</p><p>Feeling her knees start to shake, Honeymaren forced herself to keep moving. She slipped out of the car and closed the door, as if it could do anything to prevent the cold winter air from entering, now that she'd gone and taken out the window.</p><p>She took a few steps back, surveying the scene and calculating whether the snow on top of the car would be safe to move without it collapsing further. It didn't take her long to realize that it wasn't possible to move it safely on her own. Crossing her arms together in deep thought, she slowly came to the realization that the backdoor was her best bet. In her mind, it was less risky.</p><p>Maybe an actual professional would beg to differ. But she didn't know what was best. Now, Honeymaren was following her instincts. She just had to get the woman out into her car and fast. Of course she had to make sure the person would be safe to move first, and if she could bring the woman back to consciousness somehow.</p><p>She hoped she could. It would be a comfort to know she hadn't just randomly discovered a body. At the side of the road. At one in the morning.</p><p>She shivered, of cold or of fear, she didn't know. Perhaps both, more so the latter.</p><p>Then she heard music blasting out of her car - a car that she'd somehow forgotten to close the door to. She hurried back to pluck up her other phone she'd left on the dashboard, quickly unlocking it and accepting the call as she rushed back to the scene. She liked to keep two phones to separate two parts of her life; her family and work and school.</p><p>"Honey?" Came the bedraggled sound of her younger brother.</p><p>"Ryder." She said in response, surprised that she was much too shaken up to form a sentence.</p><p>"Hey. Sorry if I woke you up." Ryder mumbled with a yawn. "You probably already crashed or something. It's 1.43 in the morning and you were supposed to text me when you arrived home about half an hour ago. Did you forget or something?"</p><p>Her heart warmed at that. Ever since they started living in their own separate apartments, Ryder never stopped looking out for her. He was well informed of her late night shifts and classes, and always checked in to see if she arrived home safe every time. Usually, he'd be home hours before she did, allowing himself a chance for an early bedtime and more sleep. Yet he would set an alarm just to wake him up around the time his sister was supposed to arrive home. He'd wait for her to call then. In rare cases, she'd either forget or get held up, and he'd call her instead.</p><p>She wondered if the woman in the car had family looking out for her. At that, her heart sank. Maybe she doesn't.</p><p>She hoped she does. She dared to wish as much.</p><p>"O-or s-something." She managed to joke. However, she could almost see her brother tensing in front of her. The stutter and the sound of her teeth chattering had definitely given her away.</p><p>She heard the sound of shifting as Ryder sat up. "Honey? Are you having an anxiety attack right now?" A pause.<br/>
"...Or are you still outside?"</p><p>Honeymaren let out a forced laugh in spite of herself. "I d-don't know what to tell you. I think I could s-say yes to b-both of those th-things."</p><p>"What are you doing outside? Are you okay?" She heard the sound of a closet being opened and Ryder putting his phone down. Knowing he'd put her on speaker so he could still hear her, Honeymaren answered, steadying her voice the best she could.</p><p>"Ryder, you don't have to go out. It's really cold, and it's late. You have work in the morning."</p><p>"You're out." His voice was mumbled. She could imagine him dressing himself and momentarily getting stuck in his winter jacket. "You can explain to me what's wrong when I'm on my way. I know something's wrong, sis - just talk to me. I'll be there."</p><p>Honeymaren pursed her lips, wishing her brother wouldn't have been able to read her so well. She could barely conceal anything from him. She didn't want him to have to shoulder her issues.</p><p>After all, she was the one that made the decision to stop at the sight of the accident. She was terrified, yet she stopped anyway. It was her own fault. It was her own problem, wasn't it?</p><p>"I'm in the car, on my way now. Give me your location."</p><p>In truth, she didn't want to deal with the matter at hand alone. If her brother wanted to be there for her, she would happily accept. She wasn't sure how long she could be brave on her own. So when Ryder asked for her location a second time, she gave it to him.</p><p>"God you're in the middle of nowhere, sis. Are you hurt?"</p><p>"N-no, I'm not. But someone is."</p><p>"What? Who? Is it a friend?"</p><p>"N-not someone I k-know." Honeymaren braced herself for a quick explanation. "I found this woman in a car. It's half-buried in the snow. J-just get here.. quick. I'm not s-sure what state s-she's in."</p><p>"Okay stay calm."</p><p>"I am calm. I'm just... scared." She hated herself for sounding so fragile. But with Ryder, she felt she could be honest about anything. As cheeky as he can be at times, he never judged her imperfections.</p><p>"I'm on my way." He promised.</p><p>Time froze for Honeymaren. The snow trickled down at a rate she couldn't predict anymore. She felt dazed and unfocused, the situation finally overwhelming her. Ryder never hung up. He stayed on the line, playing some pop song on the car's radio that blurred in the background - but provided comfort for her all the same.</p><p>When he reached her, she felt she heard the radio long before she spotted her brother. Of course, it wasn't possible, but Honeymaren had always liked the idea of her hearing senses being sharper than her eyesight. The normalcy was comforting, even as it dimmed away as quickly as it came.</p><p>Her brother got out of his car in such speed it was a marvel he didn't fall headfirst into the snow. He rushed toward her, bedhead intact and eyes red from sleep. He grabbed a shoulder, taking in her distraught state.</p><p>"Did you call an ambulance?"</p><p>"No. I don't think they would be able to get here in time, and she's been in there for who knows how long."</p><p>"Call me next time, okay? When something's wrong. You can lean on me too y'know." He said suddenly.</p><p>Has she always been so independent she refused to lean on anyone? Deciding not to question him, she nodded.</p><p>Ryder released her shoulder, eyes quickly darting to the half-buried teal car. "That doesn't look good."</p><p>"I think it's been that way for several hours." Honeymaren murmured, finally voicing her fears. "I already broke in from the back, but I haven't been able to get to her. I... I have no idea what we would find."</p><p>Her brother paled at the statement. He clearly understood the implication. "Well... there's a chance still. We couldn't just leave her there."</p><p>"Any ideas?"</p><p>"Definitely not dig her out. From the looks of it, the snow could collapse and make everything worse if we try to get in through the front door."</p><p>At the statement, she was glad she stopped herself from doing just that.</p><p>"Before you called, I was just thinking.. maybe we could pull the seat back and drag her out that way?"</p><p>Ryder frowned. "We don't know the state of her injuries."</p><p>"One of us can climb into the passenger seat from the back." Honeymaren suggested. "I can do it."</p><p>"No, I will." He said in a surprisingly stern tone. His sister looked at him in surprise.</p><p>"Are you sure? It would probably be easier if-"</p><p>"I can do it, don't worry. I want to check her out first anyway. She could be awake and aware for all we know. You never know when people could have ill intentions. They could go to lengths."</p><p>The idea of the woman being potentially dangerous shook Honeymaren to the core. She hadn't even thought of that. She had only seen the woman as a victim in need of help and rescuing.</p><p>"You really think that could be possible?"</p><p>"No." He said honestly. "I mean it isn't impossible but it couldn't hurt to be careful. I'm younger but you're smaller. If anything happens, I can just sit on her or something."</p><p>Honeymaren allowed herself a smile. "Okay, you can go in, but only because I don't think sitting on anyone would be necessary."</p><p>Sharing a nod, the two siblings approached the car, Ryder immediately hopping in as slowly as he could and gracefully sliding into the passenger seat. His sister huffed a silent "Show off." Honeymaren was so collected all the time and Ryder was often goofing off, it's easy to forget she was the clumsy one of the two. Somehow, he'd also managed to avoid the glass scattered all over the back seats.</p><p>She turned her phone torchlight back on and shone the light in to where Ryder's face was visible. He flickered his gaze at her momentarily before turning to the unconscious woman. Holding out two fingers to her neck, he took a deep, shaky breath. Honeymaren found herself tensing as well.</p><p>"She's breathing... she's alive." He finally said after what felt like an eternity.</p><p>Honeymaren could feel her own breath leave her body. In her two decades of living she couldn't recall ever feeling so relived.</p><p>"But only just. We have to be quick."</p><p>"Right." She said. "Can you unbuckle her seatbelt and see if it's safe to move her?"</p><p>"Her injuries seem pretty minor. I can't say for sure." After a moment of silence as Ryder observed the woman, he spoke up again. "I say moving her is very risky, but we still need to do it. We just have to be very careful."</p><p>"Do you think we could wake her?"</p><p>"I doubt it sis." He leaned forward and pulled at something. "I've unbuckled the seatbelt. I'm going to pull the seat adjustment leaver and push the seat back now. Ready?"</p><p>She gulped and nodded. Taking that as a confirmation, Ryder did as he said he would. He was careful to do it slowly, mindful to avoid causing further harm to the woman they were now responsible for. He pushed the seat back as far as it could go, surprising even himself at the the sight of the seat being able to almost lay out flat. How convenient.</p><p>With his sister's phone as a light source, Ryder was finally able to see the woman's face clearly.</p><p>"She looks... familiar." He commented.</p><p>His sister, however, immediately identified the victim. The color drained from Honeymaren's face.</p><p>"Elsa."</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>So there you are</em><br/>
<em>Mistakenly mistaken for a deeper scar</em><br/>
<em>A hole in your heart</em><br/>
<em>And the same for me</em><br/>
<em>Is everything you touch keeping you down</em><br/>
<em>Or setting you free</em>
</p><p>
  <em>- <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzvkYf9uhjs">Backhouse Mike (feat. Elizabeth Gillies)</a></em>
</p>
<hr/><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. 'Cause I don't understand these people</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Note that nothing about this is accurate. This is just a fic. I tried to do my research, but I am limited to the internet and no personal experiences, so most of this is me just pulling facts out of nowhere. I am NOT a medical professional. <br/>Take the happenings in this fic the same way you would take to me telling you you're a unicorn. Don't attempt such things in real life and don't write it down for your biology notes or something.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em>Who sayin' the hill's too steep</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Well, they'll talk and talk forever</em>
  <br/>
  <em>But they'll just never climb, oh</em>
</p><p>
  <em>- <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCGMIVcAPww&amp;list=RDMMeCGMIVcAPww&amp;start_radio=1">The Frames, Star Star</a></em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>After recognizing the identity of the woman, everything that happened blurred together. Ryder had to talk his sister out of an anxiety attack; as best he could with an unconscious body between them. Honeymaren found herself struggling with each breath, and the cold air didn't help. She soon managed to listen to her brother's instructions however - years of him talking her out of her breakdowns helping - her being able to listen enough that she was able to walk over to her car and pull out the blanket she always kept in the backseat.</p><p>Finding out the person she was rescuing was actually someone she knew caused a huge fist to clasp around her heart, not letting go. She had quite literally feared the idea of that ever happening, and during that fateful night, it happened. She almost crumbled again when she took the blanket out, laying the thick fabric down on the snow close enough to the wrecked vehicle that there were space to walk around it.</p><p>Honeymaren managed to figure out what her brother was planning before he explained it to her. He meant to use it as a makeshift stretcher, so they could bring the woman into one of their vehicles without having to actually touch her and inflict any further potential harm. There was still the matter of taking her out of the car however, and neither of them were sure how they could do that as safely as possible.</p><p>Deciding he wasn't much help in the car, Ryder managed to slip out of the front seat and unlocked the other back door. He was by his sister's side in a heartbeat, grabbing her hand and humming as he thought up a plan.</p><p>"We have to touch her to move her." He said, frowning. "And we're running out of time."</p><p>"Maybe we should forget about the possible spinal injury and take into account that hypothermia is a bigger danger right now." Honeymaren suggested, surprising herself at the bold decision. "That way you could just pick her up without worrying about that and we would save some time getting her to the hospital."</p><p>"Are you sure?" Ryder looked at her with a grim expression. "We could be risking a lot by not being too careful."</p><p>"Just to get her on the blanket." She said, now appearing apprehensive at her own suggestion. "You just gotta do it quick but carefully."</p><p>"Slow and carefully?" He amended.</p><p>"Let's do that. God I should've went to med school."</p><p>Offering his sister a comforting smile, he patted her shoulder and moved closer to the unconscious figure. He started by pulling her legs up to a folded position, mentally chastising himself over how he's touching a woman without consent. Of course, he didn't have much of a choice and he knew it. He slipped one arm carefully behind the blond's back, making sure to get a firm hold of the armpit. With his other arm, Ryder slid it under the woman's knees, giving himself a moment to be more confident in his actions before calling to his sister.</p><p>"Help me stabilize the neck. Just make sure the head doesn't move - yeah like that. Ready?"</p><p>At a nod from Honeymaren, he slowly proceeded to hoist her up, moving sideways as they brought the unconscious body out of the car. He didn't linger and they begun to set her down slowly on the blanket, wanting to let her go as quickly as possible.</p><p>"We'll take her in my car. I had all the back seats taken out today for the dogs so there's plenty of room. I'll be quick." At that, he all but walked to his car, starting it up immediately and stopping right behind the mutilated vehicle. He had the car parked and the back opened in just a minute.</p><p>Honeymaren never realized how reliant her brother can be in emergencies.</p><p>"Now we just have to think about how to get her in." He said in a worried tone. Fortunately for him, his sister had already thought of that.</p><p>"We're each going to grab a part, right? I'll handle the upper half. I can walk backwards and jump up. You have to be ready to raise your side up higher."</p><p>"Ok, tell me when you're ready." Ryder positioned herself around Elsa's legs, grabbing a handful of the blanket's corners, making sure his fingers won't slip. Honeymaren copied him, taking the time to test her grip before nodding in confidence.</p><p>They hoisted the woman up together, Honeymaren surprising herself at her ability to do so without much struggle. Elsa was lighter than she'd expected, despite the woman appearing to be much taller. She decided to not allow that fact distract her - taking advantage of the adrenaline pumping inside her and proceeded to carry the weight into her brother's car, warning him before jumping up into the back of the car. Between the two siblings, their plan went smoothly.</p><p>While she made sure the woman was secured, Ryder did a quick check back at the damaged car and grabbed anything valuable he could see - a handbag, purse and phone. He tossed the items up to Honeymaren, waiting for her to dismount before closing up the rear. He assured her that he could take it from there and both siblings went off to their own respective vehicles, rushing to the hospital as quickly as they dared.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>During a red light, Honeymaren took the time to pull up her contacts, looking for a name she hoped she still stored somewhere, well aware that she hadn't contacted the number in several years.</p><p>Once her thumb hovered over the name <em>Anna Arendelle</em> within just a half a minute of her search, she felt the world stop, just for a moment. She found what she was looking for, yet she was still stunned. Not allowing herself the time to dwell on the large amount of contacts she had that shared the same first name as the one person she sought for, Honeymaren inhaled deeply. She pressed call.</p><p>All of a sudden, the events of the night felt all too real.</p><p>She felt her hands shake as she held the phone, listening to the quiet beeps, ignoring the traffic light flicking to green - well aware that there was no one else behind her.</p><p>Part of herself hoped for two things that night; one was for whomever was on the other line to not pickup up, so delivering the news could be delayed. Second, she hoped that if the other person did end up answering, it would be a wrong number.</p><p>20 seconds later, however, it seemed the universe was against her.</p><p>Because the line connected, and a clearly exhausted voice answered. "Anna Arendelle. What's wrong?"</p><p>She almost cried. Anna's voice changed slightly, yet it still held the sunny disposition she remembered. She wondered why she never thought of calling Anna before - for literally any reason. The girl, up until that point in time, had existed in her memory as an upbeat, bubbly and overly optimistic little girl with eyes that twinkled and a glowing smile. She would skip or bounce wherever she went, her signature twin braids jumping along.</p><p>They had only gotten the chance to see each other once a year, during large family reunions between their extended families. Their mothers were cousins, descendants of the Northuldra family. Even though their meetings were scarce, the girls became fast friends, and during those timed gatherings, Anna always made her days better.</p><p>When the light went back to red and green again, Honeymaren set the phone on speaker and pushed forward.</p><p>"Hello Anna. Remember me?"</p><p>The line was quiet for a moment. "You called me so, maybe explain who you are and why you called me at 2 in the morning? It must be important right?"</p><p>The brunette found herself smiling at the response. She realized she was calling from her work and school phone. If there was a chance for Anna to still have her number, it would be from the other phone. "It's Honeymaren Nattura."</p><p>A gasp. "Oh my god Honey! It's been too long!"</p><p>"Several years." She confirmed.</p><p>"You can't be calling to catch up though so please talk to me? You didn't wake me by the way if you're wondering."</p><p>She braced herself, delivering the news as bluntly as possible.</p><p>After all, there was no point in beating around the bush.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>She didn't know what she was expecting. When she informed Ryder that Anna was coming, she imagined a young freckled girl with a smile so bright and wide it reached her ears. She could see her bounding in, ready to give the world her all, thanking the two for all they did and telling them that it was all going to be okay, just like she always did when they were younger.</p><p>Just like when Anna was the one that comforted Honeymaren when <em>her</em> parents died. Not Honeymaren's parents, <em>hers.</em></p><p>Her hands would be twisting around her twin braids, chatting amiably to the siblings, telling them about everything that had happened in her life thus far in an attempt to catch up to the time they didn't have together. Family reunion used to always feel too short; them meeting for just one day in a year every time. It took several years for them to actually think about exchanging numbers. Then the Arendelle sisters just stopped coming to their annual meetings, for reasons the siblings never sought the answer to. Everyone else - Honeymaren's mother specifically, had vaguely explained to her how the pain of losing someone you love can really shake your life and change everything. She'd said then, it wouldn't feel the same to attend it with just the two of them, without their parents.</p><p>As orphans.</p><p>Maybe one day they'd see they still have family that cared for them.</p><p>Then Anna walked in, scaning the area with a stoic expression, and grabbed at a passing nurse's arm. Honeymaren recognized her immediately when she saw her. She'd always been great at remembering faces. The image of her relative's sunny smile had never left her mind, despite she rarely ever had gotten the opportunity to see it again. But Anna wasn't smiling now, and she certainly wasn't wearing her hair in twin braids. Her hair was cut short, a rather stylish yet basic simple shoulder length. She still kept bangs, brushed mostly to the side. She looked surprisingly presentable for a woman that was called to the hospital at 3 in the morning.</p><p>She talked to the nurse for a while, getting visibly impatient once the woman wasn't giving her what she wanted. That was when Honeymaren decided to stand up and walk over to them, with the intention of filling Anna in with everything she knew and couldn't fit in over the brief phone call. Anna didn't notice her approaching until she was right next to her, patting her shoulder and nodding a silent 'thank you' to the nurse.</p><p>"Honeymaren." She said, letting the older woman grab her hand and lead her to a seat. "What happened?"</p><p>Honeymaren explained everything. How she found Elsa, what Ryder and her did to get the unconscious woman out of the car and to the hospital. She didn't leave out any details, except of course the few moments when she imagined discovering a lifeless body instead of a barely clinging-to-life one. She then told her about by the time she arrived Elsa was already rushed in, checked for every single injury, scanned and x-rayed diligently. She spoke as briefly as she could, not wanting to relive some of the details. She almost considered leaving out the part when the blond flatlined not long after arriving, but decided it was too important an information to leave out.</p><p>And now they are waiting for the results, left to wonder whatever possible outcome they might receive.</p><p>Ryder was restless. He'd decided to step out and take a stroll despite it being early winter morning. When his sister stopped him, he insisted, saying he couldn't sit around waiting.</p><p>He was the one that saw what happened as soon as Elsa was taken in, so Honeymaren pretended she understood. She really didn't. She was shaken from the beginning. She couldn't be a wreck a second time.</p><p>By the time she finished explaining the happenings of the past two hours, Anna's eyes were red. Tears pooled in her eyelids, wanting to escape. But for whatever reason, Anna held back, appearing determined to avoid crying. She turned away from Honeymaren, wiping the collection of tears with a napkin she kept in her purse.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Anna." Honeymaren tried, unsure.</p><p>"Don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong." The other woman responded, her voice surprisingly steady despite her visibly fighting back tears. "Tell me, was she drinking?"</p><p>"I-" She paused, realizing how she didn't know the answer to that. The front seats were too dark for her to see anything. Ryder certainly hadn't mentioned anything. If there were any signs of alcohol, she was sure she'd be able to smell it. But then again her entire face was pretty much numb at the time. "I don't think so, but I can't say for sure." She decided to say.</p><p>Anna let out a huff. "God, this<em> better </em>be an actual accident. If I find out she did it on purpose..." Her bottom lip trembled, but her eyes shone with tears in an expression of what was unmistakably fury.</p><p>"What do you mean?" She definitely didn't like the implication behind that statement.</p><p>The younger woman contemplated her words, wondering if should explain anything to Honeymaren. She and Elsa preferred to keep their lives private; even more so their personal complications. However, the woman had gotten involved in so much already, and she deserved an explanation. She decided it couldn't hurt to confide in her a little.</p><p>After all, what was family for?</p><p>"Elsa does stupid things sometimes." She started, smirking in spite of herself for her first choice of words. "Ever since we lost our parents, she had gotten distant. Over time she disassociated. it wasn't long for her to get downright depressed." Anna sighed, linking her hands together. "We both did, really. But she just kept going deeper, and soon even I couldn't pull her out. We saw therapists, we got all the help we could. Of course, healing isn't easy. It constantly goes up and down. I know the process helped both of us, but there are times she'd slip. <em>I'd</em> slip."</p><p>Anna turned to look at Honeymaren then, finally smiling. She allowed the tears to leave her eyes now. In an attempt at comfort, Honeymaren placed both her hands on Anna's linked ones. She instantly unlinked her hands then, in favor of holding Honeymaren's. She found the courage to deliver the next line. "It didn't take long for her to start drunk driving once she was old enough whenever she had a particularly hard day. She'd do it on purpose, knowing full well it could kill her."</p><p>That broke her heart. If she thought the window she broke several hours earlier were in small, unrepairable pieces, her heart even more so. No one deserved to feel that way, she thought. Especially not Elsa, a girl she used to know as a kind, loving child. She remembered how Elsa used to help the younger children steal cookies during reunions, always letting them eat most of it before putting it back. She always helped clean up their messes, because small children are little hurricanes existing to be the source of all havoc. She stood up for them all the time. She made their childhood fun.</p><p>Knowing the crashing reality her life had become... life is oh so cruel.</p><p>"She's been getting better lately so I really,<em> really </em>hope that is the case." Anna was talking again. "That it is just an unintentional accident. When you called, I got mad. I thought she did it again. But really... she's strong. She's so strong. She's just broken. Even after so long, she still blames herself for our parents' death." She pulled her hands away to wipe at her face again.</p><p>Honeymaren nodded. She mulled over the new information for a while, the two sitting in silence, lost in their own thoughts. The brunette wondered if there was anything she could say to confirm to Anna that yes, her elder sister was strong, as strong as she'd said. She knew Anna already believed it, but she could use some more evidence. Solid and concrete, so she knew her words held weight.</p><p>They won't know what actually happened to Elsa earlier that night. Not until the woman herself was conscious and well enough to say.</p><p>"She fought." Honeymaren said finally. Anna turned to her so fast she was sure the younger woman almost got whiplash. When she saw Anna was waiting for her to continue, she offered a small smile and took a hand to squeeze. "When we found her, I was certain it had been a while since the crash happened, judging by the state of the snow surrounding it. Likely a few hours. The engine was dead, definitely no source of heat inside the half-buried car."</p><p>She turned to Anna, the woman holding her breath, waiting for the next revelation. A tear escaped her turquoise blue eyes. Then another. Using her other hand, Honeymaren reached to catch her tears.</p><p>"She was breathing when we found her. It... it didn't make sense at the time, but she was still alive. N-no one could survive that long in that.. state. I don't know how, but I knew she fought."</p><p>"The cold never bothered her." Anna scoffed good-naturedly, wiping her tears on her sleeves now. "Sometimes I think she's got snow powers or something. She just never complained. Even when she got ice burns all over her hands from playing in the snow without wearing gloves, she never cried."</p><p>"God I hate the snow." Honeymaren said, daring a weak laugh. "I could use some of that immunity."</p><p>"I think she loves it." The younger woman sighs. "Which is ironic. She's the warmest person I know."</p><p>The brunette had to agree. Ryder came in then, holding bottles of orange juice for each of them. He handed one to Anna as he passed her, offering a weak smile and a quiet hello. When he dropped himself into the seat next to his sister, he slid another bottle into Honeymaren's hands.</p><p>None of them said anything for a while, all three taking a sip from the cool drink spontaneously.</p><p>"So much for a family reunion." Ryder sighed.</p><p>"Thank you, Ryder." Anna spoke up, leaning forward so she could see him. Ryder's smiled brightened a little more at that.</p><p>After another hour, a nurse approached called for the Natturas, and the youngest of the three stood up and walked over as calmly as she could. From where they were, however, brother and sister could see how her hands were clenched in fists and how her knees trembled. Ryder and Honeymaren exchanged looks of concern, unsure what to make of Anna's emotional state. They joined her not long after.</p><p>"We can't allow any visitors right now." The nurse said after informing them of the medicine and fluids they had to give Elsa. "The patient is very fragile. She is currently unstable and has to be monitored without disturbance. Patient had been put into therapeutic hypothermia in hoped of lessening the amount of potential damage. She won't be awake for 24 hours at least." Her expression softened, eyes reflecting an apology. "From the estimated time of the accident, her condition is far better than we expected for a person exposed to such low temperatures to be in. She is very lucky."</p><p>Honeymaren didn't know why Anna didn't insist on seeing Elsa. She half-expected her to make a fuss over being able to see her sister, demanding the nurse to release more information. Instead, the younger woman simply nodded, listened to everything else the nurse had to say, stating how she wasn't leaving before the nurse could even suggest such a thing. Before getting back to her seat, she asked to be called in to see her sister the moment Elsa would be ready for visitors.</p><p>They went back to their seat, Anna ungracefully crashing down, exhaustion finally taking over her body.</p><p>Then, as quickly as she had collapsed into the chair, Anna scrambled upright, eyes wide and jaw dropped, looking like she'd seen a ghost.</p><p>"Oh my god."</p><p>"What-" Before Honeymaren could ask, the younger woman stood up so fast her phone fell out of her pocket. Her hand grabbed at her own shoulders, as if feeling around for braids that were no longer there. She settled with grabbing her jacket's collar.</p><p>"I left the baby at home."</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <em>Falling down into the situations</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Bringing out the best in you</em>
  <br/>
  <em>You're flat on your back again</em>
  <br/>
  <em>And star, you're ever word I'm heeding</em>
  <br/>
  <em>Can you help me to see</em>
  <br/>
  <em>'Cause I'm lost in the marsh</em>
</p><p>
  <em>- <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCGMIVcAPww&amp;list=RDMMeCGMIVcAPww&amp;start_radio=1">The Frames, Star Star</a></em>
</p><hr/><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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